


The Trap

by Zena (HowNovel)



Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1991-08-07
Updated: 1991-08-07
Packaged: 2017-10-25 19:14:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Zena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starman and Scott are on the run and only moments ahead of FSA agent George Fox. The pair take refuge in the forest where a trap lies waiting for its next victim. Who will it be? Paul or Fox?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trap

THE TRAP  
By Zena

Copyright August 1991. This story is an amateur publication written for the enjoyment of Starman fans. The characters and places contained within are a product of the author's imagination and any resemblance is strictly coincidental. This publication is not meant to infringe upon any copyrights held by Henerson- Hirsch, Michael Douglas Productions, Columbia Pictures or ABC-TV. This material may not be copied or reproduced without express permission of the author. All rights reserved.

 

Paul Forrester and Scott Hayden ran through the dark forest carrying their possessions in their duffle bags. Both father and son were out of breath and wished they could stop and rest, even for just a few minutes, but they could not. Fox was behind them only by seconds. Even though Paul and Scott were unable to see their pursuers, they could hear the snapping of the dry dead twigs as the agents crashed through the forest.

Paul and Scott passed the group of five Canadian hemlock trees with their low branches. They formed a tight little circle, a kind of cul-de-sac, and a perfect place to hide. Paul quickly called to his son, "Scott, in here."

Scott ducked under the pine branches while his father lifted them up, then the Starman crawled in, too. They lay quietly, listening and waiting for Fox and Wylie to pass. The sounds of pursuit were coming closer. Suddenly they stopped, right in front of the trees. "Where'd they go?" Fox asked Wylie breathlessly as he looked around for his quarry.

"I saw them go that way," Wylie pointed.

"Okay, let's spread out," Fox said, "but keep within sight of each other," he added. "I don't want to get lost in this damned forest."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, go! Don't just stand there! They're getting away!" Fox fumed. Wylie took off as instructed. "I'll get you yet, Forrester!" Fox swore as he started to run again.

"That was close!" Scott said in a hushed voice to his father.

"Yes," Paul agreed. "These trees make an excellent cover. We'll stay here for the night," he whispered. "I think it'll be safer for both of us."

Scott nodded. They continued to lie motionless on the pine needles for several more minutes, listening for Fox or Wylie's return, but the telltale sounds of breaking branches were receding into the distance. Scott and Starman breathed a sigh of relief and took advantage of this moment of rest. There was no room to start a fire for warmth or cooking in the tiny hideaway, so dinner would be the small bag of green grapes and peaches Paul bought at a fruit stand. that morning. They lay down on the ground on their backs, looking up at the sky, or what they could see of it through the branches. The golden yellow and reddish pink clouds would give way to silver and gray under a moonlit night within the next hour.

Father and son froze still as they heard the crackle of dry branches again.

It had to be the agents returning. Only humans made that much noise: forest animals were quiet.

Paul bent a small branch slightly so he could see out. Fox and Wylie were about six hundred feet away. Paul and Scott watched as the agents walked by, heading out of the woods and back to the little-used country road where they had abandoned their car. The road was at least a mile or two away. Paul and Scott listened to the agents' conversation. In the absence of city traffic and noise, their voices carried clearly in the forest.

"Just shut up, Wylie! You lost 'em like you always do. We'll never find 'em in here."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fox."

Fox didn't acknowledge Wylie's apology. "We'll get a team of dogs and helicopters here in the morning," he continued. "We'll search a twenty mile radius from this point. We'll find them. They won't get far, not on foot."

"Yes, sir."

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"

"I think so."

"You think so!" Fox exploded. "So help me, Wylie, if you've gotten us lost..."

Wylie looked around and spotted the clump of young pine trees where the alien and his son were hiding. "I'm positive we're headed the right way. See those pines over there? They were on our left when we passed them on the way in here. They're on the right now, so we must be going the right way."

"Pine trees! This whole forest is full of pine trees, you idiot! Open your eyes and look around."

Fox increased his pace, anxious to get out of the woods before it was completely dark. This place reminded him of creepy childhood tales: of wild animals, spooky shadows and noises, and the big bad wolf. He hated those stories, and the woods. Wylie walked faster to keep up with his boss.

Scott smiled at his father and hugged him. "We did it," he whispered.

"Yes."

But their joy was shortlived as Scott recalled Fox's plans. "We've gotta get out of here tonight, Dad. I want to be long gone before this place is crawling with cops tomorrow."

"Me, too. I'm sorry we can't rest, Scott. I know how tired you are."

"That's okay. I'd run off the edge of the Earth with you if it was the only way to be free."

"But the Earth doesn't have an edge, Scott. It's round like our spheres."

"I know that, Dad. It's just an expression left over from when people used believe the Earth was flat."

"Oh," Starman grinned.

Paul had just stuffed the bag of fruit into his duffle bag when he and Scott heard a terrible scream in the distance. Someone was hurt. Fox and Wylie were well out of sight now, but Paul felt sure one of them had uttered that cry. Starman looked at his son. "I'm going to see if I can help."

"No, Dad! You can't," Scott protested in an urgent whisper. "Don't go."

"I have to. You know I do."

"But Fox is out there! What if it's a trick? What if they capture you? What about me? What am I supposed to do, sit here and wait?"

"Yes. That exactly what I want you to do."

Scott opened his mouth to reply, but Starman cut him short. "I have the sphere, Scott. I'll be all right. If there's any problem...I'll put them to sleep for a while," he smiled.

Scott was not satisfied, but didn't try to stop his father as he emerged from the sheltering pines.

"Stay here," Paul reminded his son. "I'll be back, I promise."

"Okay. You'd better keep that promise, Dad," Scott replied as he watched his father leave in the direction they had seen the agents go.

The rusty steel leg-hold trap lay there on the forest floor waiting for its next victim. It was secured to a large tree by a thick chain with pine needles covering it so it would not be detected.

"Get it off, Wylie! Please! Get it off!" Fox cried as he tried in vain to pull the strong jaws of the trap apart. It was a useless attempt. Even in its rusted condition, the spring steel was as strong as when it was new.

Wylie knelt down and tried to spread the jaws apart, but they wouldn't budge. "I can't do it, Mr. Fox! It won't open!" he grunted as he gritted his teeth and applied all his strength to the effort.

"Keep trying," Fox moaned.

Both agents were so busy, neither of them saw the Starman come up to stand twenty feet from them, his sphere dimly glowing in his hand.

Fox caught a glimpse of blue light and looked for its source. In that one action, all the pain was forgotten and he shouted, "Forrester!" He drew his gun and pointed it at the Starman. "Stand where you are, Forrester! You're under arrest. Wylie, get 'im!"

The agent drew his weapon, stood up and took a step toward the Starman.

Paul increased the glow from his sphere and concentrated on Fox's and Wylie's guns, which grew extremely hot. The agents flung them away, nursing their singed hands. He continued concentrating on the weapons and fused the hammer and trigger mechanism so the pistols could never be fired again. Then Paul started walking towards Fox and Wylie.

Defenseless, Fox shouted at the Starman, "Stay away from me! Don't you touch me! Wylie, don't let him touch me!"

Paul stopped a couple feet away from the two agents. He looked at Fox lying on the ground, squirming, trying to crawl away from him. "I won't hurt you," he told Fox. "I came to see if I could help. I heard your scream."

"I don't want your help!" Fox cried out. "Get away from me!"

Seeing Fox was too terrified to think rationally, Paul tried talking to Wylie. "Tell me what happened," he asked.

Hesitantly, the agent began, "His leg's broken. He stepped in that trap and I can't get it off."

"How does it work? What must you do to release it?" Paul asked.

"Those jaws," Wylie pointed, "you have to spread them apart. But the hinges are so stiff I can't move them."

Paul concentrated again on the sphere. "Don't worry," he softly crooned to Fox who was near total panic. "I'll remove it. I won't hurt you. Don't be afraid."

Breathing hard and feeling faint, Fox lay back and closed his eyes. The shock and pain were taking their toll on his strength.

The blue light coalesced around the trap. The metal softened and the jaws spread apart flat. Paul then fused them as he had fused the guns.

Wylie knelt down again and lifted his boss's leg out of the trap.

Paul joined the agent at Fox's side. He looked at the bloody mess that was Fox's leg.

Wylie lifted the bloodstained pantleg up as gently as possible, revealing the large purple bruise and the white of protruding broken bone. "We've got to set the bone and splint it," he said.

"No, I'll heal it," Paul replied.

"Can you do that?"

"Yes. Watch."

Paul concentrated again and first deadened Fox's incredible pain. Then, as if an invisible hand were maneuvering it, the bone slid back inside. "I'm setting the bones now," he told Wylie. "Both of them are broken. I'll bond them together and repair the damaged blood vessels, muscle and tissue."

Fox was feeling better and lifted his head to see the blue glow around his leg. He gasped, horrified. Starman looked at him while still concentrating on the sphere.

"Do not be afraid," Starman repeated slowly. "You will be able to stand and walk on it when I'm finished."

Fox said nothing. There wasn't anything he could think of to say. He was too scared.

Several minutes passed before the glow of the sphere dimmed. Paul would not deactivate it completely. It was his insurance policy and escape. He stood up. "The healing is completed," he told Fox. "I must go now."

But Fox grabbed for his gun. He reached it and pointed it again at Paul. "You're not going anywhere. Wylie, cuff 'im."

Wylie stared at the Starman a moment, then told Fox, "No." Before Fox could chew him out, Wylie continued, "He just healed your broken leg, sir. I don't think he'd do that if he were as dangerous as you claim he is. I don't think he's a danger at all. Let him go."

"He's right," Paul said. "I would never hurt anyone or any thing. In fact, I'd try to help as I did just now for you. All I want is to live here in peace."

"My orders are to bring you in for questioning," Fox replied. "And that's what I'm gonna do."

"I'm afraid I can't let you," Paul told the agent as he began backing away.

"Stop, Forrester."

"I'm sorry, but I must go. My son is waiting for me."

"Stop or I'll shoot!" Fox warned.

"No, Mr. Fox!" Wylie shouted as he grabbed for Fox's gun.

Fox pulled the trigger, or tried to. Nothing happened. He scrambled for Wylie's gun and tried to fire it. It also would not work. "Forrester, come back here!" he yelled at the receding figure. "Wylie, get 'im!"

"No. You can get 'im yourself," the agent said. "I don't care if you fire me, I'm finished with chasing Forrester and his son. After what I just saw him do for you.... It's not fair and it's not right. You're wrong about them, sir. They aren't the danger, you are. When we get back to Washington, I'm going to tell General Wade that, too." Wylie started walking back to the road.

Stunned by Wylie's uncharacteristic outburst, Fox just stood there and watched his ex-partner walk away. Then he glanced back to where he'd last seen Forrester, but the alien was gone. Fox looked at his leg; a strong, healthy leg that showed no sign that it was broken only a few minutes ago. But the evidence of the injury was there; a dark stain and the sticky wetness of still-fresh blood on his pantleg. He looked up again and stared to where Forrester had disappeared and began to think. Is Wylie right? Am I wrong about you and your son? Am I the danger? Suddenly, hot tears rushed to his eyes and he felt ashamed as he realized what the Starman had done for him and what he tried to do to the Starman. Why, Forrester? Why did you do it? Why did you help me? He tried to find the answers to those questions as he turned and slowly started after Wylie.

Somewhere deep in the pine forest, Paul Forrester and Scott Hayden walked among the dimly moonlit trees trying to cover as much distance as they could before dawn's light. As they walked, Paul told his son what he heard Wylie tell Fox.

"You think Wylie will convince Fox to leave us alone?" Scott asked.

"I don't know, Scott. I can only hope so," Starman replied.

"I hope so, too."

THE END


End file.
